The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-190363, filed on Jun. 22, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video games. More specifically, the present invention relates to a video game including a character capability setting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Role-playing games (hereinafter abbreviated as xe2x80x9cRPGsxe2x80x9d) are known as one genre of video games using a computer. In RPGs, in general, characters play their roles in a game and a story develops as the player experiences a virtual adventure through a character (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cplayer characterxe2x80x9d) that is manipulated by the player. In many cases, a character (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9copponent characterxe2x80x9d) to confront a player character is set in each setting zone that is set in a virtual space. The player character advances to each zone, where it fights against an opponent character that obstructs the player character from attaining a goal of a story. The story develops as the player character defeats opponent characters.
A player character is manipulated with buttons, a joystick, etc. on a key-pad. The player character moves or performs a prescribed operation in response to a manipulation on the key-pad. A number of events such as battle scenes are provided to constitute a story. As various kinds of manipulation are performed in each event, the game progresses and the player acquires various kinds of points.
Many video games are known in which a capability of a player character to be exercised in a battle scene can be set when necessary. For example, there is a video game in which a character capability is set by using a setting map called xe2x80x9cskill tree.xe2x80x9d A skill tree is prepared for each of three systems of capability that can be set for a character. A capability that is determined in accordance with points that have been acquired with progress of a game and a manipulation of the player is set for the character.
However, in conventional video games, to set each capability of a character, the player needs to perform setting manipulations using a setting picture corresponding to the capability to be set. This results in problems that it is difficult to check the content of a capability being set and that a capability checking operation is cumbersome and dull. These problems are more remarkable in a case where capabilities of multiple characters are set. A video game is desired in which a capability of a character can be set and checked simply and easily and a setting content can be selected with a high degree of freedom providing the player with more enjoyment.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the art, and an object of the invention is therefore to provide a computer-readable recording medium on which a program of a video game in which a capability of a character can be set and checked simply and easily and a setting content can be selected with a high degree of freedom and which can give the player more enjoyment is recorded, a program of such a video game, and a related video game processing method and apparatus.
To attain the above object by solving the above problems, a first aspect of the invention provides a computer-readable recording medium on which a program of a video game in which a character capability can be set is recorded. The program causes a computer to display in response to a manipulation of a player, a map in which map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on prescribed routes. The computer also determines a movable range of a marker based on first points that have been acquired during progress of the video game immediately before a transition to the displaying and determines a marker position on the map at the time of a preceding setting. The computer further accepts a marker movement instruction that is given by a manipulation of the player and commands a movement of the marker to a destination marker position in the movable range that has been determined. The computer also causes updating from the marker position at the time of the preceding setting to the destination marker position that has been accepted, and consumes at least part of the first points, and sets a character capability in accordance with the accepted destination marker position.
According to the first aspect of the invention, map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on a setting map, which makes it possible to set character capabilities in a more complex manner. Therefore, a recording medium capable of giving the player more enjoyment can be provided.
In the recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention, map points that are irrelevant to setting of a character capability may also be arranged on the prescribed routes of the map. This adds a game-like factor to the setting of a character capability. Therefore, a recording medium capable of giving the player even more enjoyment can be provided.
In the recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention, the map points that are irrelevant to setting of a character capability may include map points for restricting marker movement. In this case, the marker movement is restricted by such map points as well as the first points that have been acquired during progress of the game. This adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability.
The recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention may be such that the video game can set capabilities of a group of characters individually, and that the map is divided in accordance with the number of settable characters. Moreover, markers of different characters are automatically provided as start positions in prescribed divisional regions of the map, one in each divisional region, when the video game is played for the first time. Map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character may be arranged in each of the prescribed divisional regions according to assumed differences among initial capabilities of the characters. These measures make it possible to provide a recording medium in which differences among the capabilities of a group of characters can be set intentionally by using the same setting map and player capabilities can be set flexibly through selection by the player.
In the recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention, the program may cause the computer to further announce, on the map, in response to a manipulation of the player, the determined movable range. This allows the player to easily check the movable range of a marker. Therefore, a recording medium in which a character capability can be set simply and easily can be provided.
In the recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention, the program may cause the computer to further recognize a capability that can be set for a character based on the destination marker position that has been accepted and second points that have been acquired during progress of the video game immediately before the transition to the displaying. The character capability setting may set a character capability based on a recognition result of the recognizing and a manipulation of the player and consume at least some of the second points when a character capability is set. This adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability. Therefore, a recording medium capable of giving the player even more enjoyment can be provided.
In the recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention, map points as recognition subjects of the recognizing may be a group of map points centered by the accepted destination marker position. This adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability and necessitates strategic consideration in selecting a marker position.
In the recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention, the second points may include multiple kinds of points corresponding to respective categories of map points arranged on the prescribed routes of the map. The recognizing may also include judging whether a capability can be set based on a kind of points corresponding to a category of a map point as a recognition subject. This also adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability.
In the recording medium according to the first aspect of the invention, the program may cause the computer to further display the recognition result of the recognition in a partial area of a picture in which the map is displayed. This allows the player to easily recognize a settable capability. Therefore, a recording medium in which a character capability can be set simply and easily can be provided.
A second aspect of the invention provides a program of a video game in which a character capability can be set. The program causes a computer to display, in response to a manipulation of a player, a map in which map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on prescribed routes. The computer also determines a movable range of a marker based on first points that have been acquired during progress of the video game immediately before a transition to the displaying and also determines a marker position on the map at the time of preceding a setting. The computer also accepts a marker movement instruction that is given by a manipulation of the player and commands a movement of the marker to a destination marker position in the determined movable range. The computer further causes updating from the marker position at the time of the preceding setting to the accepted destination marker position, and consumes at least part of the first points. The computer thus sets a character capability in accordance with the accepted destination marker position.
According to the second aspect of the invention, map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on a setting map, which makes it possible to set character capabilities in a more complex manner. Therefore, more enjoyment can be given to the player.
In the program according to the second aspect of the invention, map points that are irrelevant to setting of a character capability may also be arranged on the prescribed routes of the map. This adds a game-like factor to the setting of a character capability. Therefore, even more enjoyment can be given to the player.
In the program according to the second aspect of the invention, the map points that are irrelevant to setting of a character capability may include map points for restricting marker movement. In this case, the marker movement is restricted by such map points as well as the first points that have been acquired during progress of the game. This adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability.
The program according to the second aspect of the invention may be such that the video game can set capabilities of a group of characters individually. In this case, the map is divided in accordance with the number of settable characters and markers of different characters are automatically provided as start positions in prescribed divisional regions of the map, one in each divisional region, when the video game is played first time. Map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character may be arranged in each of the prescribed divisional regions according to assumed differences among initial capabilities of the characters. These measures make it possible to intentionally set differences among the capabilities of a group of characters using the same setting map and to set character capabilities flexibly through selection by the player.
In the program according to the second aspect of the invention, the program may cause the computer to further execute announcing, on the map, in response to a manipulation of the player, the determined movable range. This allows the player to easily check the movable range of a marker and hence to set a character capability simply and easily.
In the program according to the second aspect of the invention, the program may cause the computer to further recognize a capability that can be set for a character based on the accepted destination marker position and second points that have been acquired during progress of the video game immediately before the transition to the displaying. The character capability setting may also set a character capability based on a recognition result and a manipulation of the player and consume at least some of the second points if a character capability is set. This also adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability.
In the program according to the second aspect of the invention, map points as recognition subjects of the recognizing step may be a group of map points centered by the accepted destination marker position. This adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability and necessitates strategic consideration in selecting a marker position.
In the program according to the second aspect of the invention, the second points may include multiple kinds of points corresponding to respective categories of map points arranged on the prescribed routes of the map. The recognizing may also include judging whether a capability can be set based on a kind of points corresponding to a category of a map point as a recognition subject. This also adds an enhanced game-like factor to the setting of a character capability.
In the program according to the second aspect of the invention, the program may cause the computer to further display the recognition result in a partial area of a picture in which the map is displayed. This allows the player to easily recognize a settable capability and hence to set a character capability simply and easily.
A third aspect of the invention provides a video game processing method of a video game in which a character capability can be set. The method includes displaying, in response to a manipulation of a player, a map in which map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on prescribed routes. The method also includes determining a movable range of a marker based on first points that have been acquired during progress of the video game immediately before a transition to the displaying step and determining a marker position on the map at the time of preceding setting. The method further includes accepting a marker movement instruction that is given by a manipulation of the player and commands a movement of the marker to a destination marker position in the determined movable range. The method also includes causing updating from the marker position at the time of the preceding setting to the accepted destination marker position, and consuming at least some of the first points. The method also includes and setting a character capability in accordance with the accepted destination marker position.
According to the third aspect of the invention, map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on a setting map, which makes it possible to set character capabilities in a more complex manner. Therefore, more enjoyment can be given to the player.
A fourth aspect of the invention provides a video game processing apparatus including a storage that stores a program of a video game in which a character capability can be set; a computer for executing the program that is read from the storage; and a display device for picture display that is provided as output of the computer. The computer, by executing the program, displays, in response to a manipulation of a player, a map in which map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on prescribed routes. The computer also determines a movable range of a marker based on first points that have been acquired during progress of the video game immediately before the display of the map and determines a marker position on the map at the time of a preceding setting. The computer also accepts a marker movement instruction that is given by a manipulation of the player and commands a movement of the marker to a destination marker position in the determined movable range. The computer further causes updating from the marker position at the time of the preceding setting to the accepted destination marker position, and consumes at least some of the first points; and sets a character capability in accordance with the accepted destination marker position.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, map points for giving a basic capability to a character and map points for giving a special capability to a character are arranged on a setting map, which makes it possible to set character capabilities in a more complex manner. Therefore, more enjoyment can be given to the player.